Slant mounted laundry machine

ABSTRACT

A laundry machine of the slant mounted type has a tub of imperforate construction comprising an upper cylindrical portion with a loading opening and a lower frusto-conical portion with an unloading opening. A door for the unloading opening has a chamber for a body of pre-washing liquid having communication with the tub through a perforated inside wall of the door. In the present improved design the tub is provided with a plurality of perforated ribs and of intervening channel members which provide a pathway bypassing the load for supplementing the inter-flow of washing liquid between the tub and the door chamber during an operating cycle and which aids also in the drainage while the door is closed and the drain valve is opened. Further, the ribs and channel members provide some channels for drainage of the last bit of washing liquid during continuing rotation of the tub after the door is opened.

United States Patent 1 Miller et a1.

[ Oct. 30, 1973 SLANT MOUNTED LAUNDRY MACHINE [75] Inventors: John J. Miller; George J. Vesper,

both of Cincinnati, Ohio [73] Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin,

[22] Filed: June 29, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 267,485

[52] US. Cl. 68/146, 68/210. [51] Int. Cl. D06f 37/06, D06f 37/08, D06f 37/10 [58] Field of Search 68/144, 145, 146,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,255,028 9/1941 Long 68/144 X Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Attorney-George H. Fritzinger [57] ABSTRACT A laundry machine of the slant mounted type has a tub of imperforate construction comprising an upper cylindrical portion with a loading; opening and a lower frusto-conical portion with an unloading opening. A door for the unloading opening has a chamber for a body of pre-washing liquid having communication with the tub through a perforated inside wall of the door. In the present improved design the tub is provided with a plurality of perforated ribs and of intervening channel members which provide a pathway bypassing the load for supplementing the inter-flow of washing liquid between the tub and the door chamber during an operating cycle and which aids also in the drainage while the door is closed and the drain valve is opened. Further, the ribs and channel members provide some channels for drainage of the last bit of washing liquid during continuing rotation of the tub after the door is opened.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEnnm 30 I975 SHEET 10F 3 FIG.1

PATENIEDncI 30 ms sum 3 OF 3 F IG.

SLANT MOUNTED LAUNDRY MACHINE The present invention is an improvement on the laundry machine disclosed in the Files application Ser. No. 123,175, filed Mar. 11, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,677,039, in thatboth the perforated ribs and channel members provide auxiliary pathways bypassing the load in the tub for interflow of washing liquid between the tub and the door chamber during a washing cycle and provide additionally such pathways to aid drainage from the tub both before and after the door is opened.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and improvements in laundry machines of the slant mounted type described in the pending Files application aforesaid, which have an improved efficiency in removing the soil from the work load and in reducing the time required for a washing cycle.

A further object is to provide such improved laundry machine which has a faster drainage with better removal of the soil from the load.

Another object is to provide in laundry machines of the slant mouqnted type a rotatable imperforate tub having a plurality of hollow perforated ribs and of intervening perforated channel members mounted on the inside wall which are adapted to bypass the load to enable better interflow of washing liquid between the tub and a door chamber when the door is closed and a faster drainage with better removal of the soil both before and after the door is opened.

Another object is to provide such slant mounted laundry machine with an imperforate rotatable tub wherein the perforated hollow ribs and channel members are connected to a chamber in a stationary unloading door via an interspace of a double dynamic seal between the rotating tub and door.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of our invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a slant mounted laundry machine incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the mounting side of one of the hollow perforated ribs applied to the inside wall of the imperforate tub;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view to largerscale through the rotational axis of the machine showing a throat portion of the tub and showing the unloading door with the door closed and the ribs and channel members in communication with the door chamber;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the laundry machine taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view of one of the perforated channel members applied to the inside wall of the tub.

The frame for the present laundry machine comprises a recangular welded angle-iron structure supporting an upper welded angle-iron cage structure 11.

Within the upper cage structure 11 is an imperforate tub 12 comprising a main cylindrical section 12a and a rearwardly extending frusto-conica] section 12b. The tub has an annular track 13 around its cylindrical section 12a and an angle-iron track 14 midway around its conical section 12b. The tub is slant mounted on a pair of rollers 15 (one being shown) engaging the track 13 and a pair of rollers 16 (one being shown) engaging the track 14. These rollers are mounted on rearwardly inclined channel members 17 and 18 of the upper cage structure 11. The tub is supported in the direction of its longitudinal axis by the flange 14a of the angle-iron track 14 riding against a pair of rollers 19 mounted on the channel member 18. The tub is rotated by a motor 20 mounted on a platform 21 below the tub and having a drive pulley 22 coupled by a series of V belts 23 which ride in tracks surrounding the main cylindrical section 12a.

The main cylindrical section 12a has a circular loading opening 24 (FIG. 4) and the conical section 12b has a circular throat 25 (FIG. 3) providing the tub with a cylindrical unloading opening 26. A door 27 for the unloading opening has upwadly extending arms 28 pivoted at 29 to a bracket 30 secured to the cage structure 11. This door is ,of a cylindrical hollow construction having a perforate inner wall 31 and a chamber 32 therein in communication with the tub when the door is closed via the inner wall 31. The door has peripheral rubber seal 33 clamped thereon by a band 46. This seal extends inwardly past the inner wall of the door (FIG. 3) and terminates in a hollow annular section 33a having an outer annular lip 33b which slidably engages the inner wall 26 of the throat 25. A second and inner seal comprises an annular baffle angle-iron 34 mounted on the inside wall 26 of the throat at a distance from the end thereof, which has its inner flange 34a at right angles to the throat and its other flange 34b spaced from the throat and extending towards the open end thereof in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tub. Secured on the latter flange by a circular band 47 is an annular flexible seal 35 as of rubber having its end portion 35a extending beyond the flange 34b and engaging slidably an annular rim flange 36 on the inside wall of the door. The inner and outer seals thus enclose an annular space 37 therebetween to provide a double seal with the inner seal serving as a baffle to prevent. the work load from reaching or contacting the outer seal.

At the bottom of the door chamber 32 is a drain valve 77 as is described in the aforesaid Files application. Upon opening this valve while the door 27 is closed the tub is drained via a drain pipe 79 into a funnel 76.

The laundry machine as so for described in accor' dance with the disclosure of the Files application aforesaid. A feature of this construction is that the door chamber 32 provides space for a free body of washing liquid which can interflow between the chamber and the tub via the perforated wall 31 to facilitate the washing action.

In the present improved design the tub is mounted at a smaller slant angle to the horizontal so that the load is more evenly distributed along the length of the tub during a washing cycle. Further, vanes or ribs 38 mounted on the inside wall of the tub are perforated and extended parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tub throughout the length thereof, and shallow perforated channel members 39 mounted on the inside wall of the tub between the ribs 38 are perforated and extended to t the unloading end thereof whereat they are connected to the door chamber 32 via the annular space 37 between the outer and inner seals 33 and 35 when the door is closed to provide pathways bypassing the wash load for additional interflow of washing liquid between the tub and the door chamber. Also, these pathways provide for quicker and more efficient drainage both when the drain valve is opened while the door is still closed and when the door is opened. In this latter respect it is to be noted that although the mounting angle of the tub is so small that the wall of the frusto-conical portion of the tub rises going towards the unloaded opening, the ribs 38 and channel members 39 are still effective due to the continuing rotation of the tub to drain off the last bit of washing liquid after the door is opened.

The ribs 38 are V-shaped in cross section (FIG. 2) and comprise a first portion 380 of uniform height mounted on the inside wall of the cylindrical portion 12a of the tub and a secnd portion 38b of tapered height mounted on and conforming to the inside wall of the conical portion 12b of the tub. Throughout the entire length of the ribs there are outwardly extending mounting flanges 40 which are secured by riveting or welding to the wall of the tub. Additionally, the tapered portion 38b has an open-ended snout 38c which extends along the throat 25 into abutment with the baffle angle-iron 34 (FIG. 3). In the baffle iron 34 in registration with each snout 380 is an opening 41 (FIGS. 3 and 4) providing communication of the internal space of the rib with the annular psace 37 between the seals 33 and 35. Further, in the annular rim flange 36 of the door there is a series of slots 42 throughout the lower half portion of the door (FIG. 4) to provide communication between the annular space 37 and the door chamber 32. Thus, each rib 38 is coupled via the opening 41, annular space 37 and slots 42 to the door chamber to provide a bypass for interflow of washing liquid between the tub and the door chamber during an operating cycle and for better drainage when the drain valve or door is open.

The perforated channel members 39 are interposed midway between the ribs 38 and have one portion 390 extending partway through the length of the cylindrical portion 12a of the tub and another portion 39b extending through the full length of the conical section 12b. These channel members are provided with openended snouts 390 into abutment with the baffle 34 and the baffle has wide notches 44 in registration therewith to provide communication between the channel members and the annular space 37. The channel members are relatively shallow and wide and have side flanges 43 along the lengths threof which are secured by riveting or welding to the inside wall of the tub. Thus, the channel members provide another series of paths bypassing the load for interflow of washing liquid between the tub and the door chamber when the door is closed and for providing additional drain channels bypassing the load for better and quicker drainage.

The embodiment of our invention herein particularly shown and described is intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of our invention since the same is subject to changes and modifications without departure from the scope of our invention which we endeavor to express according to the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a laundry machine: the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate tub comprising a first cylindrical portion and an extending frusto-conical portion having a loading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion and an unloading opening at the outer end of the conical portion, means supporting said tub in inclined relation to the horizontal for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cylindrical portion being at an upper level and said conical portion at a lower level, a door for said unloading opening, and hollow perforated ribs in said tub extending the length of the cylindrical and conical portions thereof, said ribs being mounted parallel to the rotational axis of the tub with one portion of uniform height applied to said cylindrical portion of the tub and another portion of varying height conforming to and applied to said frusto-conical portion of the tub, said ribs being open-ended at the unloading end of the tub when said door is open, a chamber in said unloading door for a supply of free washing liquid, and means connecting the ends of said ribs at the unloading opening of said tub to said chamber when said door is closed to permit an interflow of washing liquid between said tub and chamber via said perforated ribs.

2. In a laundry machine: the combination of a stationary frame; an imperforate tub comprising a first cylndrical portion and an extending frusto-conical portion having a loading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion and an unloading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion, means supporting said tub in inclined relation to the horizontal for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cylindrical portion being at an upper level and said conical portion at a lower level, a door for said unloading opening, and hollow perforated ribs in said tub extending the length of the cylindrical and conical portions thereof, said ribs being mounted parallel to the rotational axis of the tub with one portion of uniform height applied to said cylindrical portion of the tub and another portion of varying height conforming to and applied to said frustoconical portion of the tub, said ribs being open-ended at the unloading end of the tub when said door is open, a chamber in said unloading door for a supply of free washing liquid, perforated channel members between said ribs of uniform height mounted on the inside wall of said tub along at least part of said cylindrical portion and the full length of said conical portion, and means connecting the outer ends of said channel members and of said ribs to said door chamber when said door is closed to provide channels by-passing said load for interflow of washing liquid between said tub and said door chamber.

3. In a laundry machine: the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate tub comprising a first cylindrical portion and an extending frusto-conical portion having a loading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion and an unloading opening at the outer end of the conical portion, means supporting said tub in inclined relation to the horizontal for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cylindrical portion being at an upper level and said conical portion at a lower level, a door for said unloading opening having a chamber for a supply of free washing liquid, and having a perforated wall separating the chamber from said tub, a drain valve at the bottom of said chamber for said tub, a plurality of hollow perforated ribs mounted on the inside wall of said tub along the length of the cylindrical and conical portions thereof, a plurality of shallow perforated channel members mounted on the inside wall of said tub between said ribs along at least part of the cylindrical portion and the whole of said conical portion thereof, said perforated ribs and channel members constituting channels outside the load volume of said tub for drainage of washing liquid both when said drain valve is open and when said door is open, and means operative when said door is closed for connecting the ends of said ribs and channel members at said unloading opening to said door chamber to permit an interflow ofwshing liquid between said chamber and said tub via said ribs and channel members.

4. The laundry machine set forth in claim 3 including a cylindrical throat around said unloading opening, a baffle incuding an angle-iron mounted on the inside wall of said throat at a distance from the outer end thereof with the inner wing thereof at right angles to said throat and the second wing paralleling said throat and extending towards the open end thereof, a flexible sealing band mounted on said second wing and extending therebeyond for engaging an annular rim flange on the inner face of said door when said door is closed to provide an inner seal between the door and tub, and outer seal between said door and tub comprising a sealing ring mounted on said door and to engage the inner wall of said throat in front of said baffle iron when said door is closed whereby to capture an annular space within said throat betwen said seals, said ribs and channel members being extended into edgewise abutment with the inner face of said inner wing of said baffle iron and said baffle iron having openings in registration with said ribs and channel members providing communication of the latter with said annular space, and said rim flange of said door having openings to complete a communication circuit from said tub to said chamber via said perforated ribs and channel members annular space and openings in said door flange.

5. The laundry machine set forth in claim 4 wherein said openings in said rim flange are confined to the lower portion of said door.

6. In a laundry machine: the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate tub comprising a first cylindrical portion and an extending frusto conical portion having a loading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion and an unloading opening at the outer end of the conical portion, means supporting said tub in inclined relation to the horizontal for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cylindrical portion being at an upper level and said conical portion at a lower level and with the wall of said conical portion rising proceeding towards said unloading opening, a door for said unloading opening having a chamber for a supply of free washing liquid and having a perforated wall separating the chamber from said tub, a drain valve at the bottom of said chamber for said tub, hollow perforated means mounted on and extending along the inside wall of said tub, and means connecting said hollow perforated means to said door chamber when said door is closed for providing channels outside the load volume of said tub for interflow of washing liquid between said tub and said chamber, said connecting means being disconnected at said unloading opening for drainage of the last bit of wshing liquid via said hollow perforated means during continued rotation of said tub when said door is open.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 768, 282 Dated October 30, 1973 Inventor(s) John J. Miller, George J. Vesper It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Abstract, line 16 "some" should be "sole".

Column 1, line 21, "mouqnted" should be "mounted";

line 55, "recangular should be "rectangular".

Column 2, line 12, "upwadly" should be "upwardly";

line 17, "a" should be inserted before "peripheral";

line 41, "for" should be "far", and "is" should be inserted before "in".

Column 3, line 9, "secnd" should. be "s d";

line 20, "psace" should be "space".

Column 4, lines 14 and 15, "cylndrical" should be "cylindrical";

line 18, "cylindrical" should be "conical".

Column 5, line 1, "wshing" should be "washing";

line 5, "incuding" should be "including"; line 13, "and", second occurrence,- shouldbe "an"; line 15, "and" should be deleted after "door"; line 18, "betwen" should be "between".

Column 6, line 25, "wshing" should be "washing".

Signed and sealed this 19th day of March 1974."

(SEAL) Attest;

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. MAR-SHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents F ORM PO-105O (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 US, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE "I! 0Sl$-$34. 

1. In a laundry machine: the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate tub comprising a first cylindrical portion and an extending frusto-conical portion having a loading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion and an unloading opening at the outer end of the conical portion, means supporting said tub in inclined relation to the horizontal for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cylindrical portion being at an upper level and said conical portion at a lower level, a door for said unloading opening, and hollow perforated ribs in said tub extending the length of the cylindrical and conical portions thereof, said ribs being mounted parallel to the rotational axis of the tub with one portion of uniform height applied to said cylindrical portion of the tub and another portion of varying height conforming to and applied to said frusto-conical portion of the tub, said ribs being open-ended at the unloading end of the tub when said door is open, a chamber in said unloading door for a supply of free washing liquid, and means connecting the ends of said ribs at the unloading opening of said tub to said chamber when said door is closed to permit an interflow of washing liquid between said tub and chamber via said perforated ribs.
 2. In a laundry machine: the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate tub comprising a first cylindrical portion and an extending frusto-conical portion having a loading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion and an unloading opening at the outer end of the conical portion, means supporting said tub in inclined relation to the horizontal for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cylindrical portion being at an upper level and said conical portion at a lower level, a door for said unloading opening, and hollow perforated ribs in said tub extending the length of the cylindrical and conical portions thereof, said ribs being mounted parallel to the rotational axis of the tub with one portion of uniform height applied to said cylindrical portion of the tub and another portion of varying height conforming to and applied to said frustoconical portion of the tub, said ribs being open-ended at the unloading end of the tub when said door is open, a chamber in said unloading door for a supply of free washing liquid, perforated channel members between said ribs of uniform height mounted on the inside wall of said tub along at least part of said cylindrical portion and the full length of said conical portion, and means connecting the outer ends of said channel members and of said ribs to said door chamber when said door is closed to provide channels by-passing said load for interflow of washing liquid between said tub and said door chamber.
 3. In a laundry machine: the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate tub comprising a first cylindrical portion and an extending frusto-conical portion having a loading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion and an unloading opening at the outer end of the conical portion, means supporting said tub in inclined relation to the horizontal for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cylindrical portion being at an upper level and said conical portion at a lower level, a door for said unloading opening having a chamber for a supply of free washing liquid, and having a perforated wall separating the chamber from said tub, a drain valve at the bottom of said chamber for said tub, a plurality of hollow perforated ribs mounted on the inside wall of said tub along the length of the cylindrical and conical portions thereof, a plurality of shallow perforated channel members mounted on the inside wall of said tub between said ribs along at least part of the cylindrical portion and the whole of said conical portion thereof, said perforated ribs and channel members constituting channels outside the load volume of said tub for drainage of washing liquid both when said drain valve is open and when said door is open, and means operative when said door is closed for connecting the ends of said ribs and channel members at said unloading opening to said door chamber to permit an interflow of washing liquid between said chamber and said tub via said ribs and channel members.
 4. The laundry machine set forth in claim 3 including a cylindrical throat around said unloading opening, a baffle including an angle-iron mounted on the inside wall of said throat at a distance from the outer end thereof with the inner wing thereof at right angles to said throat and the second wing paralleling said throat and extending toWards the open end thereof, a flexible sealing band mounted on said second wing and extending therebeyond for engaging an annular rim flange on the inner face of said door when said door is closed to provide an inner seal between the door and tub, an outer seal between said door and tub comprising a sealing ring mounted on said door to engage the inner wall of said throat in front of said baffle iron when said door is closed whereby to capture an annular space within said throat between said seals, said ribs and channel members being extended into edgewise abutment with the inner face of said inner wing of said baffle iron and said baffle iron having openings in registration with said ribs and channel members providing communication of the latter with said annular space, and said rim flange of said door having openings to complete a communication circuit from said tub to said chamber via said perforated ribs and channel members annular space and openings in said door flange.
 5. The laundry machine set forth in claim 4 wherein said openings in said rim flange are confined to the lower portion of said door.
 6. In a laundry machine: the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate tub comprising a first cylindrical portion and an extending frusto-conical portion having a loading opening at the outer end of the cylindrical portion and an unloading opening at the outer end of the conical portion, means supporting said tub in inclined relation to the horizontal for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cylindrical portion being at an upper level and said conical portion at a lower level and with the wall of said conical portion rising proceeding towards said unloading opening, a door for said unloading opening having a chamber for a supply of free washing liquid and having a perforated wall separating the chamber from said tub, a drain valve at the bottom of said chamber for said tub, hollow perforated means mounted on and extending along the inside wall of said tub, and means connecting said hollow perforated means to said door chamber when said door is closed for providing channels outside the load volume of said tub for interflow of washing liquid between said tub and said chamber, said connecting means being disconnected at said unloading opening for drainage of the last bit of washing liquid via said hollow perforated means during continued rotation of said tub when said door is open. 